American travelers visiting Europe this summer are avoiding cities affected by acts of terror and are rerouting vacation plans to destinations recently left unscathed, according to an analysis of flight bookings by leading travel insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance.
Allianz Global Assistance reviewed more than 500,000 Americans’ travel plans during the summer vacation season from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and found the number of travelers booked to visit Istanbul are down by 43.7 percent in 2016 compared to the same period last year, while the number of travelers visiting Brussels are down 30.4 percent. Neighboring Germany saw travelers from the U.S. to Frankfurt down by 22.9 percent. Paris, meanwhile, was more resilient with a 0.6 percent increase in summer visitors from the U.S., helping it maintain its spot as the second-most visited city in Europe by American travelers behind London.
While some major cities saw a significant decrease in U.S. travelers visiting during the upcoming summer, Europe as a whole recorded an overall 9.3 percent increase to 515,676 travelers in 2016 compared to 471,823 in 2015.
The cities that benefited most from the redistribution of American travelers still interested in visiting Europe include: Dublin and Shannon, in Ireland, increased by 42.8 and 46.5 percent respectively; Athens, Greece, increased by 42.7 percent; Lisbon, Portugal, increased by 42.3 percent, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, increased by 34.5 percent.
“What we’re seeing is that Americans are still bullish on Europe, and travel to the continent is going to be resilient as tourists seek safety in traditionally popular destinations like London and Rome, as well as increasingly popular cities like Dublin, Amsterdam and Lisbon,” said Daniel Durazo, director of communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA. “We’re pleased to see that summer travel to Europe will still be strong despite recent acts of terror on European soil. We’re seeing many travelers purchasing travel insurance so that they have the option to cancel or interrupt their trip should there be a terrorist event at their destination within 30 days of their arrival.”
Methodology: The data of travelers’ bookings from the U.S. to top European airports purchased from January to April in 2015 and 2016, for travel dates between Memorial Day and Labor Day, including airfare and package paths for partners offering Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance in the booking path for the entirety of both purchase periods. Below is a top 20 snapshot of the flight bookings to Europe’s top airports.
Allianz Global Assistance USA
Allianz Global Assistance USA (AGA Service Company) is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company. We insure 21 million customers annually and are best known for our Allianz Travel Insurance plans. In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for health insurers, property and casualty insurers, and credit card companies.
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